We often come across the question, "Why do you charge so much when I can get someone else to design my website for $500, $200 or less?" It's an excellent question - one that should be asked by everyone seeking website design services.
If you've already visited our cost estimate form, you've seen that the amounts in our budget section are higher than a few hundred dollars. It's my pleasure to explain why.
experience and expertise
I believe in honouring one another's abilities with energy exchange for like value, which fosters abundant and respectful working relationships. This is usually in the form of money for services, but can include bartering or other arrangements.
You get:
- an experienced, professional website designer with technical knowledge and hand-coding and programming expertise
- innovative design and elegant creativity from an accomplished designer/artist
- search engine optimization and website marketing knowledge
- expertise in how to design and work with your web and print projects
- valuable business management wisdom that applies to your website
- all in one designer!
- and a design support team who excel in each of their respective areas of expertise with integrity and respect
We get:
- compensated fairly for our levels of knowledge, experience and abilities
- satisfaction of knowing we're providing you with full, professional services for your money
We create estimates based on your exact needs, and charge hourly for our services. Our prices are at competitive industry standard rates.
why are competitive industry standard rates important?
Setting my rates comparitively to other designers with similar abilities supports an atmosphere of success and integrity for all those in our industry.
I don't believe in the concept of competition. I operate on the basis of abundance - there is enough for us all at any given time. Together, my "competition" and I are co-creators of a growing, emerging industry in which we can support one another into abundance - we are actually allies. With an attitude of cooperation, we create harmonious, supportive relationships in which we can all work toward abundance for each of us.
If we sink into the darker beliefs that we should be stepping on each other to claw our way to the top, this fosters a fear-based attitude that leads to struggle, segregation, and undercutting prices.
what's wrong with undercutting prices?
When I first started my website design business in 1997, I undercut my prices dramatically. I reasoned that I was supporting other start-up businesses by offering them better service at a lower cost - which was true. I felt I couldn't be picky, a little bit of business at a lower cost was better than no business at all - which was also true. My business was new, and I had to pay my bills.
As I began to attract more work at incredibly low prices, it was pretty hard to take the work seriously. I wanted to do a good job, but I wasn't making very much money so it really wasn't worth a lot of time and effort.
I began to do the math. Comparing my actual hours worked on projects to the revenue generated from them, I discovered I was making $ .30 an hour on average. That's not an exaggeration! I still have the original paper on which I calculated that rate.
Something started to shift inside. When I first began this business I truly desired to help people - that was my main goal. However, because of undercutting, my business relationships with clients were unbalanced and unfair. I soon began to resent working so hard for very little in return. I was annoyed by client requests, and I took offense to feedback. I was frustrated that my clients were getting great value in my knowledge and expertise, while I was getting very little. My productivity and attitude went down the crapper, and I eventually lost business because of it.
One day a realization suddenly hit me: it was not the clients who devalued my work - it was I who set my own rate of pay. My own attitude toward my pricing was responsible for me being unhappy and discontent with my work.
With this powerful revelation came the power of choice. I realized that undercutting prices was a drastically bad decision. I changed my rates and methods of estimating costs to reflect a more fair, balanced exchange between myself and my clients, and my entire outlook and way of doing business improved quite quickly.
Interestingly enough, my income soon picked up as well. Not only was I charging more fairly for my level of experitise, but I was attracting more clients too. Amazing how that happens.
Also improved were my relationships with my customers. We held each others' talents and abilities in the highest regard, creating an atmosphere of respect and energizing integrity. My productivity and enthusiasm grew, which showed in the quality of work that I was able to produce. This is the environment that I want to create in all my working relationships.
why should you invest in a professionally developed website?
If you're fairly new in business or don't feel that a website is worth sinking money into, hiring someone for less money can be very appealing. I get that.
I also get that investing wisely in your business and having things done right the first time is more prosperous than having to sink more money into fixing it later. They call it "throwing good money after bad", and it's not a proficient way to try to attract abundance to your business.
Remember that you get what you pay for. Money is just another form of energy exchange, and what you put into it is exactly what you'll get out of it. You run the risk of your inexpensive website turning into a cheap website - a waste of time and expense, and a potential source of frustration.
Having said that, not all website designers who lower their prices provide lesser quality. But if they are undercharging, this shows that they undervalue themselves. And if they don't value themselves, will they value you? Supporting a company who undercuts their prices confirms that you don't value their work any more than they themselves do. Imagine what kind of working relationship that will create between you, on practical and energetic levels.
are there any other lower-cost options for our services?
Absolutely! No matter who you decide to have complete your website, you may benefit from a professional website consultation with me to help you enjoy the benefits of my experience and expertise without the cost of my entire website design. Have a look here and see if a wholistic website consultation is right for you...